RGIII Injures Knee in Crushing Loss to Denver

Peyton Manning threw four touchdowns and piled up more than 350 passing yards as the Denver Broncos routed the Washington Redskins, 45-21, on Oct. 27 in Denver.

The Broncos trailed the Redskins 21-7 in the third quarter before finding their offensive rhythm and scoring 38 unanswered points, 31 of them in the fourth quarter.

The Redskins’ defense challenged Manning, especially early in the game. Manning had just one touchdown pass through the first two quarters, a rare occurrence for the league’s leader in touchdown passes. Washington’s defense also forced several turnovers by Manning, who tossed three interceptions and fumbled in the third quarter. But Denver’s top-ranked offense eventually settled in and racked up four touchdowns in the second half. Cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie scored Denver’s fifth touchdown of the half with an interception returned for a touchdown in the final minutes of the game.

As Denver lit up the scoreboard, Washington struggled on offense. Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III threw two interceptions and lost a fumble before being knocked out of the game midway through the fourth quarter. Griffin appeared to injure his left knee, the same knee he injured during his sophomore season at Baylor University but not the one that was surgically repaired earlier this year.

Backup quarterback Kirk Cousins stepped in for the injured Griffin and tossed two more interceptions, completing five of nine for 48 yards. Griffin completed 15 of 30 passes for 132 yards, one touchdown and a 45.4 passer rating. Manning completed 30 of 44 passes for 354 yards, four touchdowns and three picks; his passer rating was 94.3.

‘Skins running back Alfred Morris had a strong performance, rushing for 93 yards on 17 carries. But he didn’t get many carries in the fourth quarter as Washington put the ball in the hands of RGIII.

Linebacker Perry Riley led Washington with 11 tackles while cornerback DeAngelo Hall snagged two interceptions, including one he returned 26 yards for a defensive touchdown.

Washington fell to a 2-5 overall record, while Denver advanced to 7-1. The Redskins will face the San Diego Chargers on Nov. 3 at FedEx Field in Landover, Md.